Sports log: NBA suspends Hedo Turkoglu for steroids

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Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu was suspended 20 games by the NBA on Wednesday after testing positive for methenolone, an anabolic steroid. He began serving the suspension Wednesday night as the Magic hosted the Hawks. Turkoglu took full responsibility for the positive test and apologized to the Magic and their fans. He said he took medication from a trainer in Turkey last summer to help him recover from a shoulder injury and neglected to check it against the NBA’s banned list.
General manager Rob Hennigan said Turkoglu informed the team of the positive test last week. Turkoglu sat out the past three games for what the Magic said were flu-like symptoms and a sore back. Hennigan said those ailments were legitimate and unrelated to the positive test . . . A Chicago jury convicted attorney Fredrick Goings of murdering former NBA center Eddy Curry’s ex-girlfriend and infant daughter four years ago. Curry now plays in China . . . UConn center Enosch Wolf apologized while appearing in court in Vernon, Conn., on charges of third-degree burglary, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct. Police arrested Wolf around 6 a.m. Monday after what they called a domestic dispute. . . . The University of Tennessee self-reported 10 NCAA secondary violations, including three in men’s basketball.

NFL

Frazier gets an extension from Vikings

After leading the Vikings to a surprising playoff berth last season, coach Leslie Frazier reached an agreement that will keep him in Minnesota at least through 2014. Frazier took over for the fired Brad Childress 10 games into the 2010 season
. . . The Eagles named Tom Gamble vice president of player personnel. Gamble spent the last eight seasons with the 49ers, including the last two as director of player personnel. His father, Harry Gamble, was the Eagles’ president from 1986-95 . . . One day after the Bears terminated his contract, receiver Johnny Knox said he’s giving up football. Knox missed all of last season while recovering from back surgery . . . Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, on trial for assaulting a police officer in Nebraska in April 2012, claimed he only pushed the officer, according to a report in the Omaha World-Herald. “I’ve never been in this situation in my life,” Dennard said during a recorded jailhouse interview, which was played Tuesday at the trial in Lincoln, Neb. “I didn’t hurt you, I didn’t punch you in the face on purpose. You ran up on me so fast. I pushed you, that’s all that happened.”
. . . The NCAA Football Rules Committee unanimously approved strengthening the penalty for intentional above-the-shoulder hits. The 15-yard penalty will now have an ejection tacked on, assuming the Playing Rules Oversight Panel approves the plan next month . . . Former UConn defensive back Darrell Wilson, who played in the NFL for one season with the Patriots (1981) before playing five years in the Canadian Football League, was named secondary coach at Rutgers. Wilson has spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant at Iowa.

MISCELLANY

Federer back to work, wins first match

Defending champion Roger Federer cruised into the second round of the ABN AMRO indoor tennis tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands, beating Grega Zemlja, 6-3, 6-1. Federer had taken a two-week break after losing a five-set semifinal to Andy Murray at the Australian Open . . . Fresh off winning a second consecutive Australian Open, top-ranked Victoria Azarenka breezed into the third round of the Qatar Open in Doha with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Romina Oprandi . . . The United States will host Sweden in the Fed Cup playoffs April 20-21, with the winner returning to the World Group in 2014
. . . The New Jersey Devils acquired forward Alexei Ponikarovsky from the Winnipeg Jets for a 2014 fourth-round choice and a 2013 seventh-round pick
. . . Playing in her 200th international match, Abby Wambach scored on a diving header in the 51st minute as the US women’s soccer team beat Scotland, 3-1, in Nashville. Megan Rapinoe and Christen Press also scored as new coach Tom Sermanni got his second win in five days against his native Scotland . . . Major League Soccer’s Portland Timbers acquired midfielder Ben Zemanski from Chivas USA for allocation money and the right of first refusal to defender Jonathan Bornstein
. . . Teen star Lydia Ko shot a 10-under-par 63 on Thursday to take the lead in the first round of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Women’s Australian Open in Canberra. The 15-year-old amateur won the New Zealand Women’s Open on Sunday for her third victory in a professional tournament. Mariajo Uribe was a stroke back . . . The University of Southern California fired baseball coach Frank Cruz for violating NCAA rules regarding limits on practice time and organized team activities. Associate head coach Dan Hubbs will replace Cruz . . . North Dakota fight commissioner Al Jaeger suspended boxer Nicholas Capes for allegedly taking a dive 13 seconds into a bout in Bismarck on Saturday against ex-NFL defensive end Ray Edwards.

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